US144285A - Improvement in printing-telegraphs - Google Patents

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2 Sheets Sheet I. G. M. PH ELPS.

Frinting-Telegraphs. No, 144,285, Patented Nov.4,1873.

2Sheets--Sheet2. G. M. PH'ELPS.

Printing-Telegraphs. N0. 144,285. Patented Nov-4,1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. PHELPS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRlNTlNG-TELEGRAPHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,285, dated November 4, 1873 application filed April 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, GEORGE M. PHELPS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented Improvement in Printing-Telegraphs, of which the following is ficient to move the armature and liberate the mechanism that prints, and then draws the paper away from the typewheel.

By this device the printing is effected more reliably and rapidly than by the direct action of an armature-lever, because the mechanism that eifects the printing is uniform in its action, instead of depending to a certain extent upon the power of the electric current acting in the electro-magnet, as heretofore, and the pressurepad and paper are also drawn back from the type-wheel before the mechanism is stopped, so that the impression cannot be blurred by the movement of the type-wheel.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of this printin g-telegraph instrument complete, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

The two spring-barrels a b are mounted in frames 0, and connected by suitable clock-work or trains of gearing, one with the shaft d, upon which is the crank-pin and roller 6, and the other with the shafti of the type-wheel f. Upon the shaft 13 is an escapement-wheel, k, and the pallets l and armature m swing upon the pivots n, and allow the spring and train of gearing to move the type-wheel around one letter or character at a time. The magnets 0 p r are in the main line circuit connected to the bindingscrews 3 and 4, and pulsations are sent over the line alternately of opposite polarity; hence the polarized armature on will be moved first one way and then the other, and great rapidity of movement can be obtained in setting the type-wheel through the agency of the escapement-wheel and train of gearing; or in cases where the spring a and train of gearing are dispensed with the pallets may be wedge acting, so as to rotate the type-wheel. If the pallets and pallet-wheel are of the character to form what is known as a recoil-escapement the pallets may be moved by the pallet-wheel and gearing after the line is free from electricity, and the type-wheel will be revolved by the train of gearing until arrested by the unison-stop, in which condition it will remain until the instrument is again operated. By this means the deadbeat escapement is dispensed with, the unison-stop arrests the movement of the clockwork, preventing the same running down and bringing all instruments in a line to unison on an open circuit, the clock-work aids the move ment of the armature, and greater speed is at tained with less battery power. The printingroller 3 is upon a lever, t, that has a fulcrum at 6, and a slot, 7, for the crank-pin or crankpin and roller 0. Upon the shaft cl is an arm,

a, and o 'v are the swinging pallets actuated by the armature 0c of the magnet 1'.

parts form a letoff mechanism for the shaft (1 These and arm a. In the normal position the arm a and shaft 61 are arrested in their revolution by the pallet 22, and at this point the crank-pin e 'is in such a position to the lever t that the impression-roller and strip of paper are away from the type-wheel; hence the same will revolve without inking the paper. Assoon as a pause occurs in the alternate pulsations transpulsations can now be repeated to set the typewheel for the next letter, and as soon as the magnet r is sufficiently demagnetized the ar mature 00 recedes, releasing the arm a from the pallets c, which arm makes about a halfrevolution, and stops again against the pallets c. In this movement the impression-roller is carried awaythe greatest distance from the type-wheel and brought slightly back, and the paper is fed along by the pawl 8, giving the roller 8 a partial revolution. The strip of paper passes through a guide, 10, and beneath a yielding roller, 11, that presses it upon the roller 8. In consequence of the joint action of mechanism and magnetism in effecting the printing, great rapidity and reliability are insured, and a comparatively weak electric current can be em- 'ployed. The magnet r is made with the core 20, that projects laterally as an arm, w, and the core is surrounded by a brass or other nonmagnetic metallic tube, w the object being to slightly detain the magnetism in the core, so that the magnet will not respond'as rapidly as it would if the helix were shorter or the ar' mature opposite the end of the core; and the brass tube 20 also aids to detain the magnetism; the object being to prevent false printing when the transmitting-instrument is operated slowly.

The magnet 1' might be placed above the clock-movement, in line with the magnets 0 and p. In this case the lever will be nearly straight, to bring the armature vertically into position.

If desired, the magnets 0 and 1) might have lateral branches from their cores to operate upon an armature connected with the pallets 'U '0, and thereby dispense entirely with the magnet r; and in case one magnet, 19, is used with an armature and retractile spring, then only one magnet may be used, and the pulsations will not require to be of opposite polarity.

The type-wheels of all the instruments in one circuit may be brought into unison by continuing the alternate pulsations until the screw on the type-wheel shaft, acting upon a tooth, l5, 011 a shaft, 16, has brought the stop 17 along into a position to arrest the pin 18, and stop the further movement of the type-wheel until' a-pause occurs that allows the printing-lever to operate, and by the stud 19 lifts the tooth 15 clear of the screw, so that a spring can return the parts to their normal positions.

It will be apparent that the action of the escapement-wheel, in allowing the type-wheel to rotate until stopped at the unison-point, will be the same, whether a spring, weight, or electric motor is applied to rotate the type-wheel shaft.

The clock-movement, tending to turn the type-wheel, is only controlled by the escapement and electro-magnet when the instrument is in operation; and when the electro-magnets are not energized the escapement may vibrate by the action of the clock-work, and if unrestrained the clock-work would run down when not in use; but by combining with this instrument a unison mechanism, then such unison ture and electro-magnet that are energized by a pause with the circuit closed to hold the type-' wheel in position while the printing takes place, substantially as set forth.

2. A printing-telegraph, in which the stepby-step movement of the type-wheel is regulated by two electro-magncts, and the printing is effected by a revolving mechanism, in combination with athird electro-m agnet in the same metallic circuit that is rendered operative by a pause with a closed circuit and the let-off mechanism for the impression, substantially as set forth.

3. A typewheel that is revolved by a spring or othor motor, and a recoil-escapement con nected with the armature of an electro-magnet, in combination with a unison-stop that arrests the rotation of the type-wheel only when the said type-wheel arrives at the correct unison position, substantially as set forth.

4. A magnet made with prolonged poles to retard the accumulation of magnetic energy, in combination with the printing-lever and the armature for moving or controlling the movement thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. A magnet with a non-magnetic metallic tube surrounding the core, in combination with the printing mechanism, for the purposes and as set forth.

Signed by me this 1st day of April, A. D.

GEO. M. PHELPS.

\Vitnesses':

Gno. T. PiNoKNn CHAS. H. SMITH.

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